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4. Wireless Link-Layer Protocols

Troubleshooting using filters in Wireshark 1 8

  • Filter by IP address: ip.addr==$IP_ADDRESS; it will show only packets sent or received by the specified IP address.
  • Filter by Destination IP address: ip.dst==$IP_ADDRESS; it will show only packets sent to the specified IP address.
  • Filter by Source IP address: ip.src==$IP_ADDRESS; it will show only packets received from the specified IP address.
  • Filter by Protocol: type the protocol name in lowercase in the filter bar, e.g., tcp, udp, http, dns, etc.
  • Filter by Port:
    • You need to specify the protocol and the port number.
    • tcp.port ==$PORT_NUMBER or udp.port ==$PORT_NUMBER; it will show only packets sent or received by the specified port number.
    • tcp.dstport ==$PORT_NUMBER or udp.dstport ==$PORT_NUMBER; it will show only packets sent to the specified port number.
    • tcp.srcport ==$PORT_NUMBER or udp.srcport ==$PORT_NUMBER; it will show only packets received from the specified port number.
  • Combine filters:
    • Use && or || to combine filters.
    • Use == or != to compare values.
    • Use () to group filters.
    • E.g. udp && (udp.srcport==443 || udp.dstport==51037)

Bluetooth: Choosing the right protocol for your IoT application 2

  • Both Zigbee and Bluetooth wireless protocols are widely used for local communications in Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Zigbee

  • It is an open global standard for cost-effective low-power, low-bandwidth wireless mesh networking (mesh nodes), developed by a consortium of companies in the Zigbee Alliance.
  • Zigbee’s 2.4 GHz frequency range can be implemented globally, license-free.
  • There are approximately 300 million Zigbee nodes currently deployed.
  • Advantages of Zigbee:
    • It has a large number of nodes that can reach anywhere.
    • The Zigbee mesh configures itself automatically (self-forming) and will reconfigure dynamically to repair itself if nodes are disabled or removed (self-healing).
    • Zigbee supports multiple network topologies such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, star, and mesh networks, and allows over 65,000 nodes per network and up to two miles (3.2 km) of ideal line-of-sight outdoor range.
  • Disadvantages of Zigbee:
    • Like most mesh networks Zigbee nodes that route or “hop” messages must be powered on at all times.
    • End devices that can sleep to extend battery life can participate in the mesh, but not extend it.
    • Zigbee does not use IP addressing. Therefore, gateways must be installed to communicate with the Internet and cloud services.
    • Because most phones, tablets and computers do not include Zigbee, gateways are required to communicate with them as well.
    • Latency is greater with mesh than with simpler point-to-point protocols, though this must be considered in the context of the mesh’s far greater effective range and reliability.

Bluetooth

  • Bluetooth is a personal area wireless networking protocol designed for communicating over short distances.
  • It was created to replace the wiring needed to connect devices like computers and cell phones to their peripherals, such as headphones, keyboards and mice.
  • Like Wi-Fi and Zigbee, it operates in the 2.4GHz frequency range, which is license-free globally.
  • About 4 billion Bluetooth devices ship every year.
  • The Bluetooth standard is developed and administered by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which coordinates interoperability between device manufacturers.
  • Three different Bluetooth protocols are available: Bluetooth Classic, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Bluetooth Mesh.
  • Bluetooth Classic:
    • Designed to stream high-throughput data up to 2.1 Mbps over short distances, where battery is no concern.
    • It is an excellent solution for audio and video devices that require high bandwidth and that can be recharged daily.
    • Classic devices include mobile headsets, earphones, keyboards, mice, printers and other peripherals typically connected to a computer, vehicle entertainment system or mobile phone.
    • Bluetooth uses a master/client architecture. One master may communicate with up to seven client devices in a small personal-area network.
    • Advantages of Bluetooth Classic:
      • It is widely supported by smartphones, tablets, and computers.
      • It is easy to use and configure, with documentation and support available from the Bluetooth SIG.
      • It has a high data rate.
      • It is well-suited for audio and video streaming.
    • Disadvantages of Bluetooth Classic:
      • It consumes power heavily.
      • Connecting is complex, with the requirements to build a UI that can handle pairing and connection.
      • Not suitable for IOT applications
    • Use cases:
      • Audio headsets, speakers, and other audio devices.
      • Smartphone-vehicle pairing and home entertainment
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE):
    • Bluetooth Low Energy supports low-bandwidth connections over short distances with excellent power management.
    • It is used in situations where a personal-area network does not need to handle large data streams, and where batteries need to last months or even years
    • BLE devices include location beacons, digital scales, temperature monitors, lighting controllers, smart watches, cook pots and thousands of other low-bandwidth battery-operated use cases.
    • BLE implements a client/server architecture that allows hardware to implement only the communication features needed, saving money, battery and bandwidth.
    • Advantages of BLE:
      • Less complex hardware means that BLE chips and devices can be quite low-cost.
      • Low power consumption means that BLE devices can run for years on a single coin cell battery.
      • The client-server model makes communications simpler to implement, lowering engineering and development time.
      • It also means that devices don’t have to be paired to communicate, but can read and send data asynchronously and instantaneously whenever needed.
      • The protocol is widely accepted and implemented across billions of devices worldwide with lots of documentation, OEM equipment and trained development staff at the ready.
    • Disadvantages of BLE:
      • BLE is a point-to-point protocol. Therefore, radios cannot communicate beyond their individual range.
      • This limits the physical size of networks to BLE’s typical 10-meter range, fine for home offices, but not so great for agricultural monitoring applications or municipal street lighting control.
      • IP addressing is not implemented, therefore gateways must be used to pass information to the Internet and to cloud solutions.
      • Many BLE applications are designed to use smartphones as their gateway; however, this only works when a smartphone is present.
      • For wearables like smartwatches or fitness bands, that’s fine, however, the sensors used in commercial and industrial applications are typically unattended, making smartphone gateways impractical or impossible to implement.
      • BLE is much lower bandwidth than Bluetooth Classic, and cannot effectively be used for media streaming.
    • Use cases:
      • Personal-area networks are a prime use case for BLE including home appliances, fitness monitors and vehicle networks.
      • Beaconing in BLE is designed to support indoor positioning systems that can determine your location in a retail store or inside a factory.
  • Bluetooth Mesh:
    • Bluetooth Mesh (BT Mesh) is a very new protocol.
    • It extends simple point-to-point BLE using additional routing and network formation standards to create mesh networks where nodes can act as relays to extend the network beyond the range of any one device.
    • BT Mesh is broadly similar to Zigbee in overall function and architecture; but with several very important differences.
    • A BT Mesh network can theoretically support over 32 thousand nodes, however like other protocols, the practical limitations of bandwidth and physical space generally keep individual networks to the low hundreds of devices.
    • Advantages of Bluetooth Mesh:
      • Networks formed as a mesh are not limited by any individual radio node’s reach. Instead, each node can forward and route messages to destinations well beyond their nominal range, forming very large physical networks.
      • Because Bluetooth Mesh is based in BLE, it carries over many of that protocol’s advantages including low energy use, good security, beaconing support and pervasive underlying documentation.
      • BT Mesh networks are self-forming and self-healing, with sleep support for end devices in a store-and-forward parent/child relationship similar to those in Zigbee.
    • Disadvantages of Bluetooth Mesh:
      • BT Mesh is a relatively new protocol; It is not yet widely supported, meaning OEM equipment, gateways and handheld devices are not yet likely to be fully compliant
      • The “managed flood” protocol makes network design simpler but is a trade-off in efficiency and power use compared to a fully routed mesh protocol like Zigbee.
      • Any device that routes must be mains powered rather than running on a battery; because like Zigbee nodes, BT Mesh routers are not allowed to sleep.
      • They do not use IP addressing, therefore interactions with the Internet and cloud servers must be passed through fixed gateways or border routers that translate between BLE and the regular protocol of the Internet.
      • High latency due to the need to hop messages through the network.
    • Use cases:
      • Bluetooth Mesh was initially designed with the lighting market in mind, lighting automation and control systems in factories, warehouses, and commercial buildings.

IPv4 vs IPv6 - Understanding the differences 3

  • comparing ipv4 and ipv6 headers

IPv6 on Windows 4

What’s so great about WiMAX 5

MAC layer protocols for the Internet of things: A survey 6

Examining 5 IEEE protocols - ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, BLE, and WiMax 7

  • See the written assignment for details.

References

  1. Bermudez, C. (2022, April). Troubleshooting using filters in Wireshark. HYPACK. https://www.xylem.com/en-us/brands/hypack/?redirect=hypack ↩

  2. Digi International. (2021, March 5). Zigbee vs. Bluetooth: Choosing the right protocol for your IoT application. https://www.digi.com/blog/post/zigbee-vs-bluetooth-choosing-the-right-protocol ↩

  3. IPv4 vs IPv6 - Understanding the differences. (n.d.). NetworkAcademy.io. https://www.networkacademy.io/ccna/ipv6/ipv4-vs-ipv6 ↩

  4. IPv6 on Windows. (n.d.). NetworkAcademy.io. https://www.networkacademy.io/ccna/ipv6/ipv6-on-windows ↩

  5. Noworatzky, D. (2021, July 14). What’s so great about WiMAX? TeleDynamics. https://info.teledynamics.com/blog/whats-so-great-about-wimax ↩

  6. Oliveira, L., Rodrigues, J. J. P.C., Kozlov, S. A., Rabêlo, R. A. L., & de Albuquerque, V. H. (2019). MAC layer protocols for the Internet of things: A survey. Future Internet 2019, 11(1), 16. https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/11/1/16 ↩

  7. Ray, B. (2019, November 11). Examining 5 IEEE protocols - ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, BLE, and WiMax. IoT for all. https://www.iotforall.com/ieee-protocols-zigbee-wifi-bluetooth-ble-wimax ↩

  8. Bermudez, C. (2022, April). Troubleshooting using filters in Wireshark. HYPACK https://www.xylem.com/siteassets/brand/hypack/resources/newsletter/2022/2-april/troubleshooting-data-flow-from-sensors-using-filters-in-wireshark-cristhian-bermudez.pdf ↩